Thick, juicy, tender baked pork chops and rice in a delicious mushroom soup sauce is my idea of comfort food perfection! This retro recipe also uses a crushed cracker and cheddar cheese topping, which is one of my favorite things about it!
Pork Chops and Rice
As you all know, I am a fan of everything that uses canned mushroom soup. This recipe is great for pantry and freezer staples. If you are looking to make just a rice dish, try my Buttery Mushroom Rice, and if you are looking for soup and pork chops, try my Baked Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Soup.
What Type of Rice to Use
I used converted rice, which has become my favorite, but you can use regular long-grain rice. Converted rice has more nutrients and cooks up less sticky than regular rice, so if you have a chance, try it!
Choosing the Right Pork Chop
I have become more picky about my pork chops (I really don’t like them drying out too much in dishes), and this dish can be the worst one for drying out pork chops. I always get the super thick-cut pork chops at Costco and make sure that they have a nice fat layer on the outside. Pork chop calories are low, and they are lean meat, so getting a nice fat layer can be challenging.
You can use boneless or bone in pork chops, it is your preference entirely.
Thin pork chops require a different cooking method; see my next paragraph for more tips on ensuring these cook properly!
Tips for Tender, Juicy Pork Chops
- Put the pork chops in frozen. This extends the cooking time and is the single best trick for juicy pork! You have to plan ahead and freeze your chops in one layer in a bag so that you can pull them apart easily without defrosting.
- Using thin pork chops: If you don’t have thick pork chops, I would start cooking the rice for an hour, then add the frozen thin pork chops. Place them on top and then push them gently into the mixture.
- As you can see, I leave the fat on the edge of the pork chop, which is another trick to prevent it from drying out. Simply remove it after cooking!
- If you have defrosted pork chops, add them an hour after cooking the rice, even if they are thick-cut. To be safe, pork only has to be cooked to 145 °F now!
- See here for Pork Chop Calories information
Variation
You can always substitute chicken in this recipe if it is more forgiving, mainly since I usually use chicken thighs in my Mushroom Soup Chicken and Rice Casserole.
Other Pork Chop Recipes
Hope you like them!
Love,
Karlynn
Mushroom Soup Baked Pork Chops and Rice
Ingredients
- 4 thick cut pork chops frozen
- 2 cups long grain or parboiled white rice
- two 10.5 ounce cans condensed mushroom soup
- three 10.5 ounce cans water use the empty cans from the soup
- 2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix
- 10 saltine crackers
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F.
- Whisk together the rice, soup, water and soup mix until the lumps in the soup are smoothed out and mixed in. To get three cans of the water, simply fill up the empty mushroom soup cans and use to measure. It also helps clean out the extra soup!
- Pour into a large deep large lidded casserole dish or Dutch oven like I used. This recipe is too big for a 9×13 usually, with those thick chops.
- Place your frozen pork chops on top of the rice and gently immerse the chops into the soup and cover it completely so that the pork chops don't dry out.
- Cover with foil or a lid and cook for 1 1/2 hours OR until the rice is tender and the pork has reached a temperature of 145°F .
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the crackers, then the cheese on top. Return to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes until the crackers are browned and the cheese has melted.
- Remove and serve.
Notes
- Using frozen pork chops is my trick to keeping them juicy! The rice is going to take longer to cook, so using frozen chops lets them slowly cook.
- See my notes in the post for using thinner pork chops, or defrosted pork chops.
- The calories are counted using all the rice, which is more like 8 portions. We always have extra rice, which is fabulous reheated the next day!
Nutrition
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The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I added fresh garlic cloves with the rice, then some fresh fried mushrooms before adding seared pork chops. Delicious!
carl from nebraska says
this is horrifying – you RECOMMEND starting with frozen meat?!
Mr. Kitchen Magpie says
Did you try it? It’s delicious
Chris Peacock says
Excellent!
Chelsea says
The rice was good but the taste of the pork chop was gross. No flavor and even salt and pepper at the end couldn’t fix. Do it over again without the chops.
Angela says
Thank you for this recipe. My grocery store just had thick pork loin chops with bone and a thick strip of fan along the side for 97 cents a pound. Bargain I know so I stocked up. I hadn’t made this recipe in years and couldn’t remember the measurements of soup, rice and water. When I found your recipe I was so excited to make this for my husband and his brother who lives with us. Im making it tonight. I love, love, love this recipe!!!
I also wanted to say how awesome you and your husband are to extend your human kindness to other during these times of uncertainty. Thank you, the world needs more people to stop and think how others are doing and how they can helps. Opening our hearts costs us nothing but could be priceless to others. Thank you again!!!!! God bless.
Adrian Loewen says
Thanks for the recipe. Forgot how to do them, so glad to find such a nice and simple recipe!
For mine, I used half the water suggested here (ie 1:1) and it was good. The pork chops (I used thinner ones) and soup make up the additonal water more than sufficiently in the traditioinal 2:1 rice making rule.
Ellie says
Tried this for supper tonight and I have to say it was not very good! followed the recipe to a T and yet the rice was mushy and the pork chops were not done. Now I am stuck with a lot of mushy rice and chops that probably will get thrown away. The best thing was the cracker & cheese topping!
Roger Chemel says
Judas Priest! I want to print the recipe and instructions not the entire web page. If you don’t how to do this, ask how to do it. What a waste of paper!!!
Mr. Kitchen Magpie says
Then print the recipe card since that works fine for everyone. Simply click the print icon?
Boohoo says
I just read it from my phone. Stop being a very baby.
Jodie Reeves says
Can I use instant rice instead of long grain rice? Looking for easy reciepe
Bobbie says
Could you possibly make one of the simplest comfort food recipes ANY more complicated?!
Clarence S. says
More than enough room to cook in a 9×13.
Added some of the cheese to the sauce, it was AWESOME!!!
The chops were very tender.
Jarrod Davis says
DO NOT COOK FOR 2 HOURS!!! I looked the recipe over and that’s way too long! Also, reduce 2 cups of rice to 1½ cups and use 2 cups of water with 2 10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup. Cook THAWED pork chops for 1 hour 15 minutes at 375⁰. Check internal temperature to ensure its at least 145⁰ (pork chops will continue to cook as they rest).
This is the best way to perfect this recipe. Hope this help y’all!
WinterpegMan says
Thanks – this looks like a way better method . I will be making this again with your amounts etc.
I made this a month or so ago and used 1.75 cups rice, thawed chops…and it was very tasty. BUT told myself next time to try and make the rice more moist (less rice or more liquid).
We will know in couple of hours 🙂
Terri says
I followed recipe and used frozen thick cut pork chops but very dry and tough when finished..bummed!
Denise Strom says
I brined my pork chops for 45 minutes first. 1 TBLS per cup of water. Because I made 7 large chops I doubled the gravy ingredients ( Cr o mushrooms) and aso 2 TBLS of oil for Browning so many, two at a time. Served with the sauteed mushrooms noted in this recipe link! Talk about AMAZING! Just found TWO GO TO RECIPES! OFFICIALLY on rotation. I also served with million dollar rice and they all paired well together! I’m impressed… smile
Susan says
I’m making the mushroom soup pork chops. Thick ones frozen. I followed the recipe to the tee but the chops are still pink all over. Didn’t even register on my thermometer. Now the rice is cooked. Help…what did I do wrong?
Adrian Loewen says
Best to use thawed chops, or else cook at lower temp for longer with less water. See my tip above.
Unhappy says
Worse thing I’ve ever cooked. A mush and pork chops were tough as nails
Deborah Wales says
I’ve never put crackers and cheese on top but am trying it now with cheez-it crackers and shredded cheese.
Linda Giesbrecht says
I would like to make this recipe for dinner tonight. You mention to add the thawed chops to the rice mixture one hour after the rice has been cooking. Does that mean the chops only cook for 1/2 an hour (or until they reach the recommended temperature)? Also, can I brown the chops prior to adding to the rice mixture? When do you add the crackers and cheese topping?
marita horbay says
where do i find the note about using thawed porkchops???
Tina Peloso-Ulreich says
Hi,
Did you ever get an answer to your question about using fresh or defrosted pork chops?
Marlene Struble says
I usually do them with tomatoes an slice of onion on each .tried your recipe an its delicious